Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago) facts for kids
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The south facade of the Museum of Science and Industry overlooks a reflecting lagoon in Jackson Park
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| Former name | Palace of Fine Arts |
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| Established | 1933 |
| Location | 5700 South Lake Shore Drive (at East 57th Street), Chicago, Illinois, U.S., 60637 |
| Type | Science and technology museum |
| Visitors | 1.5 million (2016) |
| Public transit access | CTA Bus routes: Routes 6 and 28 (to 56th Street and Hyde Park Boulevard) Route 10 (to Museum of Science and Industry) Route 55 (to Museum of Science and Industry) Metra Train: 55th–56th-57th Street Station (between Stony Island and Lake Park Avenues) |
| Designated: | November 1, 1995 |
The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) is a super cool science museum in Chicago, Illinois. It's located in Jackson Park, right in the Hyde Park neighborhood. You can find it between Lake Michigan and The University of Chicago.
The museum is inside a beautiful old building called the Palace of Fine Arts. This building was first used for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, a huge world's fair! The museum officially opened in 1933 during another big event, the Century of Progress Exposition.
Some of the amazing things you can see at MSI include a real-size replica of a coal mine, a German submarine called German submarine U-505 that was captured during World War II, and a giant model railroad that's 3,500-square-foot (330 m2)! You can also see the command module from Apollo 8, which was the first mission to fly around the Moon, and the Pioneer Zephyr, the first diesel-powered passenger train.
Contents
Museum History and Building
The Palace of Fine Arts was built for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. It was designed by Charles B. Atwood. During the fair, this palace showed off amazing art like paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, and metalwork from all over the world.
Most buildings at the World's Fair were called the "White City" and were made quickly. But the Palace of Fine Arts was special. It had a strong brick base under its plaster outside, making it much more permanent.
After the World's Fair, the building first became a museum called the Columbian Museum. This museum later moved and became the Field Museum of Natural History. The Palace of Fine Arts was then empty for a while.
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A man named Julius Rosenwald, who was the president of Sears, Roebuck and Company, really wanted to create a science museum in Chicago. He was inspired by a museum he visited in Germany. Rosenwald gave a lot of money, over $5 million, to help turn the old Palace of Fine Arts into a new science museum.
When the building was changed into the Museum of Science and Industry, its outside was rebuilt with limestone. This kept its original 1893 Beaux Arts look. But the inside was completely new, designed in a modern style. The museum officially changed its name to the Museum of Science and Industry in 1928.
The new Museum of Science and Industry opened to the public in stages between 1933 and 1940. For many years, it was free to enter, though some special exhibits had a small fee. In the early 1990s, the museum started charging a general entrance fee.
In 2019, the museum announced a huge donation of $125 million from Kenneth C. Griffin. This is the biggest gift the museum has ever received! Because of this generous gift, the museum plans to change its name to the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.
Awesome Exhibits to Explore
The Museum of Science and Industry has over 2,000 exhibits spread across 75 big halls! There are many major exhibits that are always there. Some special exhibits, like the Coal Mine and the U-505 submarine, might require an extra ticket.
Entry Hall Wonders
When you enter, you'll see the Pioneer Zephyr train. This was the very first diesel-powered, super-fast stainless-steel train. It used to be displayed outside, but now it's safely inside the museum's Entry Hall.
Lower Level Adventures
U-505 Submarine
The German submarine U-505 is a real German submarine captured during World War II. It's one of only six German submarines captured by the Allies, and the only one you can see on display in North or South America! After being outside for 50 years, it was moved indoors in 2005. It's a very popular exhibit and a reminder of the brave people who fought in World War II. You can even take a guided tour inside the submarine for an extra fee.
Near the U-505, you can find a Mold-A-Rama machine and a machine that flattens pennies. Both make cool souvenirs with U-505 designs!
Henry Crown Space Center
In the Henry Crown Space Center, you can see the actual Apollo 8 spacecraft. This spacecraft was the first to fly beyond Earth's orbit and go to the Moon! Its crew were the first humans to see the Earth as a whole and get a close-up view of the Moon. You can also see Scott Carpenter's Mercury-Atlas 7 spacecraft and a lunar module trainer.
The Space Center also has a special domed theater, which is the only one like it in Chicago. The screen is made of tiny holes, so the sound from the speakers behind it can fill the whole theater.
FarmTech
The "FarmTech" exhibit shows you how modern farming works. You'll learn how farmers use cool technology like GPS to grow food better. It includes a real tractor and a combine harvester from John Deere. The exhibit also has a greenhouse and shows how many foods we eat come from soybeans, and how we use cows for everything from energy to milk.
Fun for Younger Visitors
Some areas in the museum are perfect for younger kids. These include the "Swiss Jollyball," which is the world's biggest pinball machine made from recycled items! There's also the "Idea Factory," a water play area for toddlers, and the "Eye Spy" gallery. You can also see Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle, a super detailed doll's house.
First Level Discoveries
Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze
"Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze" is a fun exhibit where you can learn about patterns found in nature. It has an interactive theater and stations to explore things like the Golden Ratio, spirals, and fractal branching. Then, you can walk through a mirror maze that helps you see these geometric patterns in action!
Transportation Gallery
The Transportation Zone is packed with different ways to travel!
- The Great Train Story: This is a huge 3,500-square-foot (330 m2) model railroad that tells the story of transportation from Chicago all the way to Seattle.
- Historic Locomotives: You can see a replica of Stephenson's Rocket, which was the first steam train to go over 25 miles per hour. Also, there's the 999 Empire State Express steam locomotive. It was thought to be the first vehicle to go over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) in 1893!
- Early Airplanes: A replica of the Wright Brothers' first airplane, the Wright Flyer, is on display.
- Warplanes and Record Breakers: You can see two World War II warplanes: a German Ju 87 R-2/Trop. Stuka divebomber (one of only two left in the world!) and a British Supermarine Spitfire. Also, check out the museum's Travel Air Type R Mystery Ship, nicknamed "Texaco 13," which set many flying records.
- Commercial Jet: "Take Flight" features the very first Boeing 727 jet plane used by airlines. You can even see inside it!
Science Storms
Opened in 2010, "Science Storms" is a permanent exhibit where you can explore the physics and chemistry of the natural world. It has a 40-foot (12 m) water vapor tornado, a tsunami tank, a Tesla coil (which makes lightning!), and a Wimshurst machine. You can also see Newton's Cradle, learn about the color spectrum, and watch a Foucault pendulum swing.
Genetics: Decoding Life
"Genetics: Decoding Life" is an interactive exhibit that shows how genetics affect humans and animals. It has a chick hatchery where you can watch baby chickens hatch from their eggs! The chicks that hatch are sent to the Lincoln Park Zoo to help feed animals there, like lions and tigers. Some special Java chicken chicks are sent to a farm to help save this rare breed.
ToyMaker 3000
"ToyMaker 3000" is a working assembly line where you can order a toy top and watch it being made right in front of you!
Coal Mine
The "Coal Mine" exhibit is one of the oldest and most popular at the museum. It's a re-creation of a real deep bituminous coal mine from 1933. You go underground and ride a mine train to see different parts of the mine and learn how it works. This experience takes about 30 minutes and has an extra fee.
Yesterday's Main Street
"Yesterday's Main Street" is a cool mock-up of a Chicago street from the early 1900s. It has cobblestone roads, old-fashioned lights, and several shops that look like they did back then. You can see:
- The Berghoff restaurant
- Chicago Post Office
- Commonwealth Edison
- Gossard Corset Shop
- Jewel Tea Company grocery
- Jenner and Block Law office
- Lytton's Clothing Store
- Dr. John B. Murphy's office
- The Nickelodeon Cinema
- Chas. A. Stevens & Co.
- Walgreens Drug Company
You can actually go inside The Nickelodeon Cinema and watch silent films!
Other First Level Exhibits
Other exhibits on this level include "Art of the Bicycle," showing the history of bikes, and "Reusable City," which focuses on recycling and fighting climate change. The Regenstein Hall of Science has a giant periodic table of the elements. You can also find "Fast Forward," about future technology, and "Earth Revealed," with a cool holographic globe.
Second Level Exploration
YOU! The Experience
The museum is known for its unique exhibits, like "YOU! The Experience." This exhibit replaced an older walk-through model of the human heart. Now, it features a 13-foot-tall (4.0 m), interactive, 3D heart that helps you learn about the human body.
Other Second Level Exhibits
You can also see models of several US Navy warships and try out flight simulators, including one for the new F-35 Lightning II jet.
Special Exhibitions
Besides its permanent exhibits, the museum often hosts temporary and traveling exhibitions. These special shows usually last for a few months and might require a separate ticket. Past exhibitions have included Titanic: The Exhibition, Body Worlds (about the human body), Game On (about video games), Leonardo da Vinci: Man, Inventor, Genius, CSI: The Experience, Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination, Harry Potter: The Exhibition, and Robot Revolution. More recently, The Science Behind Pixar and Wired to Wear have been popular.
Every year, from late November to early January, the museum celebrates the holidays with its Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light exhibit. This tradition started in 1942 and now features more than 50 Christmas trees, each decorated to honor different cultures from around the world!
Images for kids
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Interior panorama, viewed from a central hall
See also
In Spanish: Museo de Ciencia e Industria (Chicago) para niños
- Architecture of Chicago
- List of museums and cultural institutions in Chicago
